JP3443306B2 - Virtual shared display method in virtual space and recording medium storing the display program - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention represents each user as an alter ego, and the user expresses a three-dimensional virtual space in which he / she can freely move by manipulating the alter ego, and in the virtual space. A plurality of image display terminal devices capable of expressing the alter-ego of another user are connected via a network, and the user's voice, position information in the virtual space of the user, and line-of-sight direction information are displayed on another image. The present invention relates to a virtual shared display method in which a plurality of users share a virtual space in a remote place, and users are aggregated in the virtual space to communicate through an alternation by distributing the display terminals.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art (1) First Prior Art The landscape of a three-dimensional object such as a building or a vehicle changes variously depending on the position seen by the user. Information relating to these three-dimensional objects such as buildings and vehicles is stored in an external storage device of a computer, and various three-dimensional computer graphics (CG) techniques are used, depending on the position seen by the user. There are video display systems that can display landscapes. Here, a plurality of image display terminal devices, a center device,
Consider an image communication system including a network connecting the plurality of image display terminal devices and the center device. FIG. 1 shows the configuration.

A center device 1 and a plurality of image display terminal devices 3A, 3B, ... Are connected to a network 2. The image display terminal device 3A corresponds to the user A, and the image display terminal device 3B corresponds to the user B. Each image display terminal device 3
A, 3B, ..., Terminal control device 8, display 9 which is an image output device, camera 4 which is an image input device 4, microphone 6 and speaker 7 which are an audio input / output device, from which position the three-dimensional object is viewed. A moving direction input device 5 for inputting and instructing is provided.

Each of the image display terminal devices 3A, 3B, ... Inputs from the moving direction input device 5 the voice input by the microphone 6 and the image captured by the camera 4 for the user corresponding to the image display terminal device. The position information indicating the position of the user and the line-of-sight direction information are sent to the center device 1.

On the other hand, the center device 1 receives various information transmitted from the terminals and distributes the information from the center device 1 to the image display terminal devices 3A, 3B, .... The voice is distributed after mixing.

Each of the image display terminal devices 3A, 3B, ...
Three-dimensional information is stored in advance, and based on the positional information sent from the center device 1, the building, vehicle, etc. existing within a certain angle (viewing angle) from the direction of the line of sight with the designated position as the center. The three-dimensional object is displayed on the display 9 using the three-dimensional CG technology. That is, a three-dimensional virtual space is set, a three-dimensional object is placed in the three-dimensional virtual space, and an image viewed from this viewpoint is displayed on the display 9 assuming that the viewpoint is at a designated position in the three-dimensional virtual space.

Further, each image display terminal device 3A, 3B, ...
By using the movement direction input device 5, the viewpoint can be freely moved in the three-dimensional virtual space where buildings, vehicles, etc. exist. Regarding the alter ego, a preselected alter ego image is placed at a position where the viewpoint of the image display terminal device exists in this three-dimensional virtual space, the image captured by the camera 4 is pasted on the face portion, and the line of sight of the alter ego ( A process of matching the vertical direction of the face image) with the line-of-sight direction of the image display terminal device is executed.

(2) Second Prior Art Further, as the second conventional art, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-32
There is a method as shown in "Virtual shared display method in image communication system" of Japanese Patent No. 9279. In this virtual shared display method, a drawing surface shared by each image display terminal device is set in the three-dimensional virtual space, the drawing content by the drawing pad is reflected on the drawing surface, and the image of the person photographed by the TV camera is displayed. The drawing surface is arranged in this three-dimensional virtual space, and for each image display terminal device, when displaying an image viewed from the viewpoint position of the person corresponding to the image display terminal device in the three-dimensional virtual space on the display. In addition to making it a transparent image, the position of the human figure in the three-dimensional virtual space was set at a position a certain distance from the center line of the visual field direction viewed from the person's viewpoint, and the direction of the human figure was viewed from the person's viewpoint. By facing the center line in the direction of the visual field, it is possible to display both the person image and the drawing content drawn by the person in the same direction as the person, and Is it possible to display the portrait of the participants have seen.

[0009]

In the conventional image communication system as described in the above "(1) First prior art",
Since only 3D objects existing within a certain angle (viewing angle) from the direction of the line of sight can be displayed, there is a problem that it is difficult for the large number of people to see each other's front view.

Further, as described in "(2) Second Prior Art", the position of the person image in the three-dimensional virtual space is set to a position at a constant distance from the center line in the visual field direction viewed from the person's viewpoint. However, if the direction of the person image is set to face the center line of the visual field direction viewed from the person's point of view, when trying to magnify an object such as a drawing surface, the person approaches the object in reality. However, since the viewpoint is set at a certain distance in this virtual space, the object does not appear to be enlarged by the approach of the human image to the object. In addition, there is a problem that other users can freely approach the human figure from any direction regardless of the intention of the user of the human figure, and thus it is not possible to recognize in advance that the person is approaching.

An object of the present invention is to enable a large number of users to see each other's front view when they communicate with each other in a virtual space. When the user's alternator approaches the object, the position of the viewpoint is set so that the object can be seen in an enlarged manner, and other users cannot freely approach it by the intention of the user. It is to provide a new virtual space display method that allows a user to recognize in advance that a user is approaching.

[0012]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention represents each user as an alter ego, and the user can freely move by operating the alter ego. In addition to representing the user's voice, the user's voice and position information in the user's virtual space can be displayed by connecting multiple image display terminal devices that can express the alter ego of other users in the virtual space via the network. In a virtual space system in which the direction information of the line of sight is distributed to other image display terminal devices and a plurality of users communicate in a virtual space at a remote place, when any user wants to communicate, at that time point Then, at the request of the user's image display terminal device, a room with a transparent or semi-transparent inner wall and only one doorway was created, and each clone entered the room. When each of the image display terminal devices detects that, the image display terminal device directs the alter ego so that the line of sight of the alter ego is perpendicular to the wall surface facing the wall surface with the entrance and exit, and each of the image display terminals is displayed. The viewpoint position of the terminal device is set to be line-symmetric with respect to the wall surface in the front direction with respect to the ghost, and the line-of-sight direction of each of the image display terminal devices is set to a direction opposite to the direction of the ghost. To do.

Further, the device for the entrance of the room is changed as follows in response to a request from a user in the room by a command from the center device managing the virtual space information to each of the image display terminal devices.

If the entrance is allowed from the middle, the entrance is changed so that the entrance can be freely entered from the outside. If the entrance is restricted from the middle, a door or other entrance for restricting the entrance is installed, and other entrances are installed. When the user approaches from the outside, the fact that the user enters the room is transmitted from the user's image display terminal device to each image display terminal device of the user in the room through the center device, If there is no refusal by the user in the room, change it so that the user can enter the room, and if he / she is not allowed to enter the room halfway, change the room so that he cannot enter the room.

The operation of the present invention is as follows. By setting the position of the viewpoint of each alter ego to the wall in front of the alter ego, and setting the line-of-sight direction to the direction opposite the direction of the alter, the object installed in front of the wall In some cases, if the subject is brought closer to the object, the viewpoint can be brought closer.

By making the inner wall surface of the room transparent or semi-transparent, the user in the room can see the outside, and since the doorway is installed at one place in the view of the user, the outside It is possible to visually pre-recognize that the user is trying to enter the room by approaching the doorway.

By changing the device of the doorway of the room according to the request of the user in the room, the user outside can visually judge whether or not he / she can participate in the room halfway. it can.

The program for realizing the above-mentioned display processing of the virtual space in the image display terminal device by a computer should be stored in an appropriate storage medium such as a computer-readable portable medium memory, a semiconductor memory, a hard disk. You can

[0019]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. <Device Configuration> The hardware configuration of the image communication system to which the virtual shared display method of the present invention is applied is basically as shown in FIG.
Is the same as that described in "(1) First prior art". 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the center device, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the image display terminal device. 2 and 3, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1 correspond to those shown in FIG.

In the center device 1 of FIG. 2, the movement information control section 21 determines the position to be transmitted to each image display terminal device 3 based on the movement information of each alternation sent from each image display terminal device 3. Determine the information. The video processing unit 22 determines a video to be transmitted based on the position information determined by the movement information control unit 21, and transmits the video to each image display terminal device 3 via the data demultiplexing device 27 and the network 2. .

The room control unit 23 includes an entrance control unit 24 and an entrance control unit 25, and based on the position information determined by the movement information control unit 21, a room generation request or an entrance control request from each image display terminal device 3. Etc. and decide whether or not they can be processed. When the image display terminal device 3 first generates a device for a room or a doorway, the image processing unit 22 is instructed to transmit the image data.
In particular, the entrance / exit controller 24 performs processing relating to changes in the entrance / exit of the room. In addition, the room entrance control unit 25 performs a process as to whether or not to allow room entry in response to a room entry request from the image display terminal device 3.

The voice mixer unit 26 includes a movement information control unit 21.
The sound to be transmitted is determined based on the position information determined in step 1, and the mixing process is also performed.
Send audio to. The data demultiplexing device 27 performs data communication with each image display terminal device 3 via the network 2.

In the image display terminal device 3 of FIG. 3, the audio output section 31 outputs audio information separated from the data sent via the network 2 by the data demultiplexing device 36 to the speaker 7. The virtual space generation unit 32
A three-dimensional virtual space is generated based on the video received from the center device 1, the position information and movement information of the object in the virtual space, and the movement information of itself, and the room and the alter ego are displayed on the display 9. . In particular, the virtual space generation unit 3
Reference numeral 2 denotes a room creation processing unit 321 that creates a room for communicating with a specific opponent in the virtual space, an entrance / exit processing unit 322 that processes whether or not to allow a room to enter the room halfway, and itself. And a room entry processing unit 323 that performs processing for allowing the other person to enter the existing room.

The input device 5'is, for example, a mouse, a joystick or a keyboard, and includes the movement direction input device 5 of FIG. The input unit 33 transmits the moving direction of the subject to the virtual space generation unit 32 and the center device 1 based on the input from the input device 5 ', and other screen selection information, that is, a so-called click such as a process at the time of room generation. Processing for transmitting information processed by operation or input information from a keyboard or the like to the center device 1 is performed. Further, the voice input unit 34 converts the voice information input from the microphone 6 into digital data and transmits it to the center device 1 via the data demultiplexing device 36 and the network 2. Video input section 3
Reference numeral 5 transmits the image of the user or the like captured by the camera 4 to the center device 1.

<First Embodiment> FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are views for explaining the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4
FIG. 4A shows a state in which the positions of viewpoints and line-of-sight directions of respective alternations in the room are viewed from above, and FIG. 4B shows an image displayed on the display of the image display terminal device 3B.

The alternations of the users A, B, and C of the image display terminal devices 3A, 3B, and 3C are designated as alternations 11A, 11B, respectively.
11C, one of the image display terminal devices 3A, 3B,
When a user of 3C wants to communicate, at that time, a request is made from the user's image display terminal device to create a room in which the inner wall surface is transparent or translucent and has only one entrance, and When each image display terminal device detects that the user has entered the room, the viewpoint is changed as shown in FIG.

In the present embodiment, the positions of the viewpoints and line-of-sight directions of the individual bodies 11A, 11B and 11C in the room are as shown in FIG. 4 (a) when viewed from above the room.
The present embodiment differs from the conventional display method in the viewpoint positions 12A, 12B, and 12C of the image display terminal device.
That is, in this embodiment, the alternation 11 in the room
Position 1 of viewpoint of image display terminal device of A, 11B, 11C
2A, 12B, and 12C are set at positions symmetrical with respect to the respective ghosts and the wall surface in the front direction, and the line-of-sight directions 13A, 13B, and 13C of the image display terminal devices are set to face the respective ghosts. Set. When the position of the viewpoint is changed in this way, an image is displayed on the display of the image display terminal device 3B as shown in FIG. 4 (b).

FIG. 5 (a) shows a state in which the outside branch is approaching the entrance / exit of the room as seen from above, and FIG. 5 (b)
Indicates an image displayed on the display of the image display terminal device 3B at that time.

When the clone 11D outside the room tries to enter the room, the clones 11A, 11B, 11C of the room
You will be approaching the doorway that is installed at only one location in the rear direction of the, and when you look at it from above, it looks like Figure 5 (a). At this time, an image as shown in FIG. 5 (b) appears on the display of the image display terminal device 3B, and the user B visually indicates that the alter ego 11D is about to enter the room, that is, joins the conversation. It can be recognized in advance.

FIG. 6 (a) shows the appearance of the room seen from the outside when the alternation 11D is inserted into the room halfway,
Figure 6 (b) shows the appearance of the room seen from the outside when it is restricted to enter the room halfway, and Figure 6 (c) shows the room seen from the outside when the room is not entered at all. It shows the situation.

As shown in FIGS. 6 (a) to 6 (c), the user of any of the image display terminal devices 3A, 3B, 3C communicating in the room requests the center device 1 to enter the room. Change the doorway of. If it is possible to enter the room halfway, as shown in Fig. 6 (a), if the room is not provided with a door or other entrance / exit that restricts the room entry, but if the room is allowed to enter midway, then the room shown in Fig. 6 (b) As described above, a door or other such thing that restricts the entrance of the room is installed at the entrance of the room, and when the clone 11D approaches the entrance of the room, the clones 11A and 11B existing in the room from the image display terminal device 3D through the center device 1 , 11C for each image display terminal device 3A, 3B, 3C
Is transmitted, and when none of the users A, B, and C refuses to enter the room, the restriction on the entrance and exit of the room is removed, and when any of the users A, B, and C refuses to enter the room, Leave room entrance restrictions unchanged. If you are not allowed to enter the room from the middle of the room, there will be no doorway as shown in Fig. 6 (c). By doing so, the alternator 11D outside the room can visually recognize whether to enter the room halfway.

<Second Embodiment> In the above-described first embodiment, any of the image display terminal devices 3A, 3B, 3 is used.
If the user of C wants to communicate, at that time, at the request of the user's image display terminal device, a room with a transparent or semi-transparent inner wall and only one entrance is created, After entering the room, the mechanism of the entrance / exit of the room is changed according to the request of any one of the users A, B, and C. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, a room in which the entrance / exit mechanism is changed is set up in the three-dimensional virtual space from the beginning, and when the user enters the room, communication is performed in each room state. To be able to.

<Third Embodiment> FIGS. 7 and 8 show
FIG. 7 (a) is a diagram for explaining the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 (a) shows the clones 11A, 11B, 11C and the clones 11 in the room.
FIG. 7B shows an image viewed on the display of the image display terminal device B, as seen from above the position 12B of the viewpoint B of FIG. Further, FIG. 8A shows a state in which the alternations 11A and 11B are overlapped with each other, and FIG. 8B shows an image displayed on the display of the image display terminal device B.

In the third embodiment, in each of the above-described embodiments, the user himself / herself is made transparent when each terminal device enters the room. As a result, in the three-dimensional virtual space, as shown in FIG. 7 (a), the clones 11A, 11B, 1
Although the images 1C are arranged side by side in the room, the image displayed on the display of the image display terminal device 3B is as shown in FIG.
Since the alternator 11B is not transferred as in (b), the user 11B can have an atmosphere as if he / she were standing in front of the alternators 11A and 11C and talking.

When the alternation 11B is overlapped with the alternation 11A in the three-dimensional virtual space as shown in FIG. 8A, the alternation 11B is displayed on the display of the image display terminal device 3B as shown in FIG. 8B.
The front image of A appears in the center of the screen, and the image display terminal device 3
Since the front image of the alter ego 11B appears on the display of A,
The manifestation of intention that the altercations 11B is talking to the altercations 11A can be visualized.

<Operation Flow> FIG. 9 is a flow chart when the image display terminal device 3A creates a room. It is assumed that the users A, B, and C of the image display terminal devices 3A, 3B, and 3C are in the same three-dimensional virtual space. For example,
When the user A of the image display terminal device 3A wants to communicate with the other users B and C, the image display terminal device 3A is in the same virtual space as the center device 1 at the request of the user A. A request is made to create a room for communicating with other users B and C who are present. In the center device 1, if a room is already being created in response to a request from another user B or C, it notifies the image display terminal device 3A that the new creation of the room will be rejected. If the room is not being created, the center apparatus 1 determines the creation position of the room in the virtual space by predetermined information or by an instruction from the image display terminal apparatus 3A. After that, the center device 1 sends information on the created position of the room and the size of the room to the image display terminal devices 3A, 3B, 3C, and the image display terminal device 3
In A, 3B, and 3C, a room is created in the virtual space based on the information sent from the center device 1 and displayed on the display.

First, in a room, for example, a doorway without a device is arranged and displayed in the rear direction of the subject, and the size of the room is set as a default value according to the number of participants. To delete a room,
Automatically when there are no users in the room. The command to delete the room from the center device 1 is sent to the image display terminal devices of all users in the same virtual space as the room.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart when the image display terminal device 3A changes the entrance of the room. Users A, B, C, D of the image display terminal devices 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D
Of the user A is in the same three-dimensional virtual space, and that of user A is in the room. It is assumed that this room has an entrance and exit, and the entrance and exit is in a state with no device by default.

If the user A of the image display terminal device 3A does not allow another user's altercation to enter the room on the way, information indicating "no room entrance / exit" is provided to the center device. Send to 1. Further, if anyone is allowed to enter the room on the way, information to the effect that “a device is not installed at the entrance of the room” is sent to the center device 1. On the other hand, when deciding whether to enter the room on the way according to the situation, the message “install a device at the entrance of the room” is sent to the center device 1.

The center device 1 sends the information of these entrances and exits to the image display terminal devices 3A to 3D, and the image display terminal devices 3A to 3D redraw the entrance and exit of the room based on the sent information. .

FIG. 11 is a flow chart when the alternation of the user D of the image display terminal device 3D enters the room. Users A, B of the image display terminal devices 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D,
It is assumed that the clones of C and D are in the same three-dimensional virtual space, and the clones of users A, B, and C are in the room. At this time, the alternation of user D outside the room cannot enter the room and participate in the conversation unless the room has an entrance / exit. If the room has an entrance and exit, and there is no device in the entrance, the center device 1 can be notified of the movement of the clone into the room and the room can be entered.

On the other hand, if the room has an entrance and exit and a device is provided at the entrance and exit, the image display terminal device 3D requests the center device 1 for permission to enter the room. Center device 1
Inquires of the other image display terminal devices 3A, 3B, 3C whether or not to refuse the entry of the user D, and if any of the image display terminal devices 3A, 3B, 3C refuses the entry, the refusal is denied. The information is transmitted to the image display terminal device 3D, and entry into the room is prohibited. Image display terminal device 3A,
If the entrance is not rejected by 3B or 3C, the device at the entrance / exit is deleted so that the alternation of user D can enter the room, and the alternation of user D enters the room to enter the conversation. To be able to participate.

<Processing Flowchart of Image Display Terminal Device> FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a process of the room creation processing unit of the image display terminal device. The room creation processing unit 321 of the image display terminal apparatus 3 shown in FIG. 3 inquires of the center apparatus 1 whether the room can be created in response to a room creation request from the user (S11). When the center device 1 notifies that the room can be created, the room is created based on the information sent from the center device 1 and displayed on the display 9 (S12, S13).

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the processing of the entrance / exit processing unit of the image display terminal device. The entrance / exit processing unit 322 of the image display terminal device 3 shown in FIG. 3 inputs from the user whether or not to allow a room entered in the virtual space on the way (S2
1) If the room is not allowed to enter the room on the way, the center device 1 is notified that no doorway is installed in the room (S22, S2).
3). If the user is allowed to enter the room on the way, the user inputs whether or not to make a device at the entrance / exit (S24). If no device is made, the center device 1 is notified that no device is made at the entrance of the room (S27).

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the processing of the entry processing unit of the image display terminal device. Image display terminal device 3 shown in FIG.
Of the user of the self-portrait display terminal device 3 moves into the room when the user's alter ego is outside the room (entry)
In response to the request, if there is no doorway in the room, the entry into the room is prohibited and the room is left out (S31, S).
37). If the room has an entrance and exit and there is no device at the entrance or exit, the subject is allowed to enter the room in response to a request to move into the room (S32, S36). If there is a device at the entrance / exit, the center device 1 is inquired whether it is possible to enter the room (S33). If it is not possible to enter the room, it is left out of the room (S34, S37). If it is possible to enter the room, delete the mechanism such as opening the door of the entrance and exit (S35),
The alter ego is entered (S36).

<Processing Flowchart of Center Device> FIG. 1
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a room creation process of the room controller of the center device. The room controller 23 of the center device 1 shown in FIG.
When the room creation request is received from the image display terminal device 3 (S41), it is checked whether another user in the same virtual space is creating the room (S42). If another user is creating a room, the fact that the room cannot be created is transmitted to the requesting image display terminal device 3 (S4).
3). If another user is not creating the room, the creation position of the room is determined in the virtual space (S44), and the image display terminal device 3 of the alternation in the same space as the virtual space in which the room is created stores the room. A creation command is sent (S45).

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the processing of the entrance / exit controller of the center unit. When the entrance / exit controller 24 of the center device 1 shown in FIG. 2 receives the entrance / exit information from the image display terminal device 3 (S51), the entrance / exit of the room is eliminated based on the information or a trick is provided in the entrance / exit of the room. It is determined whether or not the doorway has no device, and the information on the changed doorway is sent to the image display terminal device 3 of the alter ego in the same virtual space as the room where the doorway has changed (S52).

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the processing of the entry control unit of the center device. When the entrance control unit 25 of the center device 1 shown in FIG. 2 receives a request to enter a room having a doorway with a device from the image display terminal device 3 (S61), each image display terminal device 3 of a branch in the room It is inquired whether to enter the room (S62). As a result of the inquiry, if none of the users in the room refuses to enter the room, each image display terminal device 3 is instructed to delete the device of the entrance / exit of the room (S63, S64). If any of the users in the room refuses to enter the room, the entrance of the room is prohibited without changing the device (S65).

[0049]

As described above, according to the present invention, the position of the viewpoint of each image display terminal device is set at a position line-symmetrical with respect to the wall surface in the front direction with respect to each of the image display terminal devices, when the clone enters the room. By setting the line of sight to face the direction of the alter ego, it is possible to see the front images of the alter ego of a large number of users, and the object installed in front of the wall in the front direction of the alter ego In some cases, if the object approaches the object, the viewpoint of the image display terminal device also approaches, and by making the wall inside the room transparent or translucent, users inside the room can see the outside. ， As one door is installed in a position where it can be seen, it can be seen that outside users are approaching the door, and it can be predicted that they will participate in conversation. To be inside By changing in response to user requests, there is an effect that the user are outside can determine whether visually can participate in the middle in the communication in the room.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image communication system to which a virtual shared display method is applied.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a center device.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image display terminal device.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram when the image display terminal device creates a room.

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram when the image display terminal device changes the entrance of the room.

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram in the case where the alter ego of the user of the image display terminal device enters the room.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a process of a room creation processing unit of the image display terminal device.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a process of an entrance / exit processing unit of the image display terminal device.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing processing of an entry processing unit of the image display terminal device.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a room creation process of a room control unit of the center device.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a process of an entrance / exit controller of the center apparatus.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a process of an entry control unit of the center device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 center device 2 network 3A, 3B image display terminal device of users A, B 4 camera 5 moving direction input device 6 microphone 7 speaker 8 terminal control device 9 display 11A-11D alternation 12A-12C image display terminal device 3A-3C Positions of viewpoints 13A to 13C Line-of-sight direction of image display terminal devices 3A to 3C 14 Room doorway 15 Doorway mechanism

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Claims (12)

(57) [Claims] 1. A user is represented as an alter ego, and a user manipulates the alter ego to represent a three-dimensional virtual space in which he or she can freely move at will, and the altercation of other users in the virtual space. A plurality of image display terminal devices capable of expressing the above are connected via a network, and the voice of the user and the position information and line-of-sight direction information of the user in the virtual space are distributed to other image display terminal devices. Then, in a display method in a virtual space system in which a plurality of users communicate in a virtual space at a remote location, the outside of a room in which multiple bodies willing to communicate can be seen through. The inner wall surface of the room is transparently or semi-transparently displayed, and in the room, the ghosts are aligned toward one surface of the wall of the room and displayed on each image display terminal device. The position of the viewpoint of the virtual space to be set is set at a position line-symmetric with respect to the wall surface in the front direction, and the line-of-sight direction of each image display terminal device is set to the direction opposite to the direction of the body. A virtual shared display method in a virtual space, characterized by displaying. 2. Representing each user as an alter ego, the user expresses a three-dimensional virtual space in which the user can freely move by manipulating the alter ego, and the altercations of other users in the virtual space. A plurality of image display terminal devices capable of expressing the above are connected via a network, and the voice of the user and the position information and line-of-sight direction information of the user in the virtual space are distributed to other image display terminal devices. In a display method in a virtual space system in which a plurality of users communicate with each other in a virtual space in a remote place, the intention of communicating in the virtual space from the image display terminal device to a center device that manages virtual space information. Requesting the creation of a room in which a certain group of people gather, and if the center device has not created the room at the request of another user, Of the room and sends the information including the created position of the room in the virtual space to the image display terminal device, and the image display terminal device receives the information including the created position of the room based on the received information. Are displayed transparently or semi-transparently on the inside wall of the room so that the outside can be seen through from the inside of the room, and the bodies that are willing to communicate in the virtual space are aligned toward one side of the wall of the room. Then, the position of the viewpoint of the virtual space displayed on each image display terminal device is set to a position line-symmetric with respect to the wall surface in the front direction with respect to the body, and the line-of-sight direction of each image display terminal device is set to the direction of the body. A virtual shared display method in a virtual space, characterized by setting in opposite directions. 3. The virtual shared display method in the virtual space according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the alternation of the user of the image display terminal device is in the room in the virtual space, A virtual shared display method in a virtual space, characterized in that the user's own alternation is displayed transparently. 4. The virtual shared display method in a virtual space according to claim 1, wherein a user of the image display terminal device has a different personality in a room in the virtual space. The virtual shared display method in the virtual space, wherein the position of the alter ego of the user is displayed in a state of being coincident with the position of the alter ego of the other user when talking with the alter ego. 5. The virtual shared display method in the virtual space according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the room displayed by the image display terminal device is a room outside the room. In a virtual space characterized by not having an entrance and exit if entry from the middle of the room is not permitted, and otherwise having a entrance and exit for the alter ego outside the room to enter the room Virtual sharing display method. 6. The virtual shared display method in a virtual space according to claim 5, wherein the entrance and exit of the room displayed by the image display terminal device is provided with a mechanism for entering and exiting a room outside the room halfway into the room. A virtual shared display method in a virtual space, which is a gateway that can be changed. 7. The virtual shared display method in the virtual space according to claim 5 or 6, wherein if the room does not have an entrance / exit, the alternation outside the room is prohibited from entering the room, and the entrance / exit to the room If there is a device in the room, and there is no device in the doorway, permission to enter the room of the alter ego outside the room, and if there is a device in the room and the device in the doorway A virtual shared display method in a virtual space, characterized by inquiring whether to permit or deny entry to a room, and permitting or denying a person outside the room to enter the room according to the result. 8. A user is represented as an alter ego, and the user expresses a three-dimensional virtual space in which the user can freely move by operating the alter ego, and the altercations of other users in the virtual space. A plurality of image display terminal devices capable of expressing the above are connected via a network, and the voice of the user and the position information and line-of-sight direction information of the user in the virtual space are distributed to other image display terminal devices. Then, in a display method in a virtual space system in which a plurality of users communicate in a virtual space at a remote location, the outside of a room in which multiple bodies willing to communicate can be seen through. The inner wall surface of the room is transparently or semi-transparently displayed, and in the room, the ghosts are aligned toward one surface of the wall of the room and displayed on each image display terminal device. The position of the viewpoint of the virtual space to be set is set at a position line-symmetric with respect to the wall surface in the front direction, and the line-of-sight direction of each image display terminal device is set to the direction opposite to the direction of the body. Is displayed, the position of the viewpoint of the image display terminal device of each alternation is moved along with the movement of each alternation, the entrance and exit of the room is arranged and displayed in the rear direction of the alternation, and either one of the rooms is used. A virtual shared display method in a virtual space, characterized in that a device at the entrance of the room is changed in response to a request from a person to visually recognize whether or not another alter ego can participate. 9. A three-dimensional virtual space in which each user is represented as an alter ego, and the user can move freely at will by operating the alter ego, and the altercations of other users in the virtual space. A plurality of image display terminal devices capable of expressing the above are connected via a network, and the voice of the user and the position information and line-of-sight direction information of the user in the virtual space are distributed to other image display terminal devices. A recording medium in which a program executed by an image display terminal device in a virtual space system in which a plurality of users communicate in a virtual space at a remote place is recorded, and is sent from another device via a network. Based on this information and the information input from the terminal device, you can see through the outside of the room where the bodies that are willing to communicate are gathered. As described above, the inner wall surface of the room is transparently or semi-transparently displayed, and in the room, the ghosts are aligned toward one surface of the wall of the room, and the viewpoint position for displaying the virtual space on the own terminal device is set. , Set a line-symmetrical position with respect to the user's own alter ego of the own terminal device and the wall surface in the front direction, and set the line-of-sight direction to the direction opposite to that of the user's own alter ego and display each alter ego A recording medium for recording a display program for a virtual space, characterized in that a program for causing a computer to execute the processing to be recorded is recorded. 10. The recording medium recording the virtual space display program according to claim 9, wherein the program is
When the user's own alter ego of the image display terminal device is in the room in the virtual space, the computer includes a program for causing the computer to execute a process of displaying the user's own alternation transparently. A recording medium on which a display program for the virtual space is recorded. 11. The virtual shared display method in the virtual space according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the program is such that a user of the image display terminal device is a different user of another user in the virtual space. A virtual space display program is recorded which includes a program for causing a computer to perform a process of displaying the position of the alter ego of the user in conformity with the position of the alter ego of the other user when talking with the user. recoding media. 12. The recording medium recording the virtual space display program according to claim 9, wherein the program is:
The entrance and exit of the room is arranged and displayed in the rear direction of the alter ego, and by changing the mechanism of the entrance and exit, it is possible to visually recognize whether or not the entrance and exit of another alter ego to participate in communication. A recording medium in which a display program for a virtual space is recorded, the program including a program for causing a computer to execute processing.